Daily call / test call - Couldnt connect

[kaytee]

Hi,

firstly, hello everyone - I've had a Tivo for over 6 years but this is my first post here. (Never really had any problems before!)

I'm having problems today trying to do a dial up. I dont leave the phone cable connected for nightly calls as it has to trail through the house so I connect it and do a manual call when I remember.

Today it gave me a 'Failed. Couldnt connect' error, so I tried the test call a few times with the same result. So I checked the cable on the phone and it was actually faulty. So, dug out another cable, which works okay on the phone, but this gives the same error on Tivo. I've tried listening in but it doesnt even sound like it dials.

I've tried googling but havent found much apart from maybe the modem has given up.

I'd be grateful if anyone has any other tips I can try, or knows what the problem might be. Is it possible the faulty cable might have broken the modem? And if it is the modem - how do I fix it?!

Thanks in advance

K

[mikerr]

Tiscali/TalkTalk phone line ?

Theres a long thread about problems here (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=408738), with tiscali lines,
but it boils down to entering:

,#090,,08081050005

in the dial prefix menu of tivo:

messages & setup / record & phone setup / phone connection
change dialling options / set dial prefix


Of course it could be the modem lead, or the modem itself failed...

[kaytee]

Hi, thanks for that - I did see some probs about that, but I'm on a normal BT line so didnt try that, what do all the numbers mean? I was a bit wary about putting them in without knowing. Also my problem is it doesnt even seem to be dialling, not that it gets interrupted halfway etc.

Is there anyway to tell if it is deffo the modem? I read something else just now about Tivo hanging when booting if the modem was blown but I restarted mine okay.

[kaytee]

I've tried using the suggested prefix, also with ,#056 in front and also just the phone number, still no joy. To be honest I don't think it's getting as far as trying to dial. Am fairly sure the external cable is okay as it works if I connect the phone to it.

Does that make it look fairly definite it's the modem? In which case, is the best thing to get a network adaptor for it (although I'd have no idea how to install that!) or are there any other options?

Cheers
K

[RobbyBoy]

If only today, i upgraded my hard drive and had to do a set-up and couldn't get connected from about 2pm till around 7pm then successful .
Don't know if this helps or not
Robert

[kaytee]

Hi Robert, thanks for that, I've just tried again but still no joy. It's just not even trying to dial, it seems to give up after a few seconds so it's not looking good really.

I almost converted my monthly subs to a lifetime one last week - maybe it's a good job I didnt do that after all!

[Pete77]

I almost converted my monthly subs to a lifetime one last week - maybe it's a good job I didnt do that after all!

If the modem is broken then I should buy one off Ebay with a Lifetime Sub as that will only cost £100 or so and fix your dialup issue. Then no more monthly subs thereafter.

The obvious next test is to take your Tivo to a friend or relative's house and phone line and try it again there with the original cable and without any prefix codes and see if you still get the same problem connecting or not?

[ozsat]

Have you tried powering TiVo off at the mains for at least 60 seconds - and then retying?

[mikerr]

Other things to try are turning off "dialtone detection" and "phone avail" detection...

[mutant_matt2]

Also, not all modem cables are the same (I assume, you are talking about the modem cable that connects TiVo to the socket?). Make sure the replacement is using the same pin out as the original (you can usually just about see which colour wires are on which pins, at each end).

If you're not using the correct cable type, TiVo won't be able to "see" the line.

HTH!

Matt :)

[Pete77]

Make sure the replacement is using the same pin out as the original (you can usually just about see which colour wires are on which pins, at each end).

In particular a piece of phone cord designed for a regular phone handset to a phone wall socket will have the same plugs at both end as a Tivo phone data cord but doesn't have the right wiring inside to support data transmission. Only a specific computer modem socket to phone wall socket cable is suitable.

I think those are the only two type differences in the cables despite the many other layers of complexity that mutant_matt has also tried to suggest. Any other plug variations and so on will simply not allow you to plug the cord in to the Tivo.

[kaytee]

Hi everyone, thanks for all the helpful replies, particularly pointing out the differences in the modem cable as it looks like that is the cause of my problem - so I feel a bit foolish now! I've swapped the cables back to the original (I can see differences in the colours on the pins), and hey presto, when I listen in, I can hear Tivo dialling - then there are just long beeps and it eventually fails, but with a 'not answering' message, so chances are it will work later on, fingers crossed.

I'm so happy, Tivo is (hopefully) okay after all, hurrah!

Thanks again,
K

[mutant_matt2]

Pete,

I had in my mind that you used to get "straight through" modem cables, like many makes used to use, e.g. Hayes, then you got the "middle pins to outer pins" types, like US Robotics used to use, hence the warning that not all modem cables will work with TiVo (which, luckily, IIRC, uses the more "standardised" straight through variety).

Matt :)

(re-reading your post Pete, I *think* we might be saying the same thing :) )

[riggers]

I'm with BT and am also getting a "Failed. Couldn't connect." error message. The last update that worked was on Monday. Never had a problem before.

Both Test & Daily calls coming up with same message :(

[kaytee]

Hi riggers

I've been trying on and off all evening and still getting the "Failed. Couldn't connect" message.

The next scheduled call is for ~7am tomorrow so am just going to leave it connected overnight and see what happens.

Very odd though...

Will post an update tomorrow night.

[Phantom Wombat]

Even worse I had to re-run guided setup and it's stuck at the Setup Call stage with "Failed. Couldn't connect." Again, I'm on a BT line.

[riggers]

Failed again this morning but just tried a manual daily call and it worked fine. Possibly a minor BT or Tivo hitch.

Quite relieved :)

[Phantom Wombat]

Yes, I've just tried now I'm home from work and it's connected OK.

... or not, cos I'm now stuck at the "Programme Call" stage of setup :mad:
Hope the calls don't just work during working hours

[kaytee]

Just got home and tried mine again, but still getting the same error - grrrr!

Maybe it's just a case of getting lucky and dialling at the right time.

Anyone else having similar problems?

[kaytee]

Just tried again, and it's currently downloading - woohoo!

[Phantom Wombat]

Yes, I've finally managed to get through the guided set-up and use my TiVo again.

[bnewsom]

My daily call hasn't worked since 14th Feb, I only realised yesterday when we started to run out of programme data. I just got off the phone to Tivo support, they gave me the ,#090,,etc prefix suggestion but that hasn't made any difference.
I've about had enough of the thing and am ready to bin it and buy a Foxsat, anyone want to buy my lifetime sub?

[Pete77]

I've about had enough of the thing and am ready to bin it and buy a Foxsat, anyone want to buy my lifetime sub?

Those who have tried the Freesat HD PVR (Humax) have indicated the SPs and so on are not as good as they are on Tivo.

These dial up problems usually seem to be solved by most users here after they have fiddled around a bit. Having said that my Daily Call is using my Cachecard and over the internet and almost never fails.

[kaytee]

Hi bnewsom, I havent done another call since it worked earlier this week as I dont leave the cable connected. All I can suggest is just keep trying late on in the evening as that is when mine finally connected and worked okay.

Good luck :)

[Pete77]

Hi bnewsom, I havent done another call since it worked earlier this week as I dont leave the cable connected. All I can suggest is just keep trying late on in the evening as that is when mine finally connected and worked okay.

Do Tivo CS have any explanation as to why a dialup connection for the daily call from a Tivo now seems to be so erratic?

[mutant_matt2]

Pete,

They blamed my hardware (the modem) when I had my one and only problem with it (that I noticed, anyway). They said it was dead, and wouldn't respond to the logical argument that I could listen to the call get setup and start, before timing out (they then said, well, it's not dead, but it's not working properly). I don't think they have visibility of anything other than, when you last successfully completed a call.

However, from the logs, it was clear it was dialing up, connecting, and then half way through the downloads, the web server stopped responding (you could even listen to the call and hear the Tivo still trying). It eventually timed out.

I was gearing myself up for an argument (which I knew was likely to be a waste of time), when, about a week later, it just started working again. They did admit to some "web server problems" at the time, but wouldn't admit that this was, or was not, the one and the same that delivers the updates (I'd say the evidence leans towards the former ;) ).

Matt.

[Pete77]

I was gearing myself up for an argument (which I knew was likely to be a waste of time), when, about a week later, it just started working again. They did admit to some "web server problems" at the time, but wouldn't admit that this was, or was not, the one and the same that delivers the updates (I'd say the evidence leans towards the former ;) ).

As those of us who are using Turbonet or Cachecard network cards in our Tivos have been getting data daily with no issues it seems clear the problem is not in fact with Tivo's servers but due to something involving the 0800 phone number and probably it now being conveyed by some Voip mechanism or other without the call provider either allowing for or caring about the fact that Voip is a totally unsuitable mechanism for old fashioned computer modem calls................

As to Sky CS staff just making lies to fob off customers it is very depressing that people in customer service departments in large companies worldwide seem to have no interest at all in actually providing honest and accurate information to customers.